Here you go! :D I love that people are liking it! I'm enjoying writing it! :D Sorry if it took a while getting this one up :P been doing lots this week! :) Anyway enjoy!

Fred heaved a sigh. Harry was at Malfoy Manor and everyone but George had gone out somewhere, either to the dining hall at St. Mungos or for a walk. Anything to get away from the cramped, stressful hospital room. Fred looked down at Hermione who was breathing shallowly. She had somehow grown even paler in the last few hours, the curse was working quickly. Fred closed his eyes tightly and wished with all his might that Harry had somehow persuaded Malfoy to help! George snored softly from his chair in the corner of the room. At least his twin wasn't plagued with these worries, Fred smiled. He heard footsteps echoing through the hallways and woke from his daydreaming to turn back to Hermione. Fred narrowed his eyes, did she just flutter her eyelids? Fred inched closer. They fluttered again!

"Hermione?"

Her breathing picked up to a normal rate and Fred's eyes widened. "GEORGIE LOOKIT! GEORGE!"

"Mmm? Was'up?" his twin mumbled, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"She…she's moving her eyelids and listen…" Fred's excitement grew as he ran over and yanked George up to drag him to Hermione's bedside.

"I don't see-"

"There! See?!"

"Oh yeh…"

Fred's dancing eyes looked back to George who smiled at his excited twin.

Two things happened at once then. The door flew open and Hermione opened her eyes! George's attention turned to the people standing at the doorway whilst Fred yelped in ecstatic elation at Hermione's confused chocolate brown eyes.

"MIONE!" Fred threw himself on her, but did so as gently as possible.

"Fred? What's…what's going on?" she croaked in a feeble voice. Hermione turned to the doorway.

"Malfoy?" she whispered incredulously. "What's happening?…I…I'm so confused…"

Fred too turned to see who Hermione was looking at. Sure enough Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway, looking directly at Hermione with a blank expression on his face. Harry stood behind him with what looked like relief at his best friend who had finally opened her eyes.

"I'll…I'll go get Dr Ramshaw…" George awkwardly slipped out of the room.

"Fred?" Hermione whimpered slightly. "Why am I in St. Mungos? And why is…why is Malfoy here?"

Fred tore his eyes away from Malfoy's poker face and explained as best he could what had happened to Hermione and why their arch enemy was there.

She turned her scared eyes back to Malfoy with an apprehensive face. He smirked at her. Just then the rest of the Weasley clan burst into the room, followed by Dr Ramshaw.

"What the he-?" Malfoy looked outraged at being jostled about by so many red-heads.

"Miss Granger! You're awake! Oh that's excellent! I assume it was due to Mr Malfoy's presence!" The doctor smiled genuinely at her and turned to shake Malfoy's hand.

"Dr Greg. Ramshaw, pleased to meet you!"

Malfoy's eyebrows raised a fraction but nonetheless shook the man's hand politely. The Malfoys were nothing if not good mannered, Draco thought to himself whilst wondering about the man's blood-status. Dr Ramshaw turned back to Hermione and began to examine her, waving his wand over her several times.

"Yes! It seems to have already begun!"

"What's already begun?" Ginny questioned.

"Miss Granger opened her eyes when Mr Malfoy arrived, and it would seem that her body's already slowly beginning to fight the curse. However I warn you, the healing process will take weeks possibly months! And Mr Malfoy must love her completely, like a family member, don't worry, Fred. Otherwise she may seem to be getting better only to suddenly plummet and…well…"

Fred's blazing hazel eyes turned to Malfoy who seemed to be frowning slightly. He seemed to be putting up with all this with little protest. Fred wondered what had persuaded Malfoy to agree to this odd requirement, it couldn't have just been a life-debt.

No one really knew how to help Malfoy start learning to love Hermione, so one by one everybody, minus Fred, filtered out of St. Mungos and back to their respective homes.

It was about one o'clock in the morning and Draco was lounging in an uncomfortable chair, awake and slightly sore from the discomfort. Fred was snoring softly, half sat in his chair, half flopped over Hermione's bed but Draco couldn't tell if Hermione herself was awake or asleep. Her face seemed to be screwed up in pain as if she was being kept awake with it, but then she'd sigh and turn, like she was dreaming. Draco heaved a sigh and tried for the hundredth time to get comfortable and go to sleep. The arms of the chair dug into his back as he attempted to flop sideways on the seat. He heard a noise from Hermione and froze. He hadn't woken her had he? Draco rose quietly to his feet and looked over at the sleeping girl on the bed. Her face was twisted with agony and she kept clenching and unclenching her hand that wasn't being held by the sleeping Fred.

"Grang-…Hermione?" Draco whispered to see if she was awake at all. She moved her head from side to side as if arguing with someone, a frown set on her face. No, she seemed to be dreaming. The curse must be hurting her as Draco noticed sweat glistening on her forehead and small groans of pain escaped every now and then. He sighed again and moved his chair over to the other side of her bed. As soon as he approached, Hermione's body seemed to relax more. Did he really have that much of an effect over her curse? Draco took Hermione's free small and hot hand in his own cool, slender ones, and immediately her face grew tranquil. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she seemed to breathe easier. Draco looked down at the small hand in his. Several years ago he would have rather have kissed a mermaid in the black lake than hold the mudblood's hand. Now he just didn't care. It was for his parents. Besides, Draco had felt sick at the thought of death ever since his 6th year at Hogwarts when Voldemort had ordered him to kill Dumbledore, how could he let someone die when he could help? Draco leant back in his chair, still holding Hermione's hand. Oddly, the chair now felt decently comfortable and he could feel himself being pulled into sleep. Images of his parents flashed across his mind before he finally succumbed to the blissful repose.

It was lunchtime the next day and Greg Ramshaw was making his way round the hospital, checking up on his patients. As he approached the room with the patient who evoked the most worry in him, he paused. Raised voices were coming from the room.

"STOP DOING THAT, WEASLEY!"

"I CAN HUM IF I DAMN WELL WANT TO, MALFOY!"

"You guys…please-"

"I SAID STOP! MERLIN'S BEARD!"

"I CAN'T HELP IT IF I'M BORED! BESIDES! IT'S 'MIONE'S MUSIC I'M HUMMING! SHE LIKES IT!"

"DO YOU?"

"Well…I don't mind-"

"SEE SHE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO! SO STOP!"

"MAKE ME!"

"I BLOODY WELL WILL!"

Greg pushed the door open to find the boys standing at opposite ends of the room, their wands raised towards each other, murderous looks on their faces. Hermione herself was sat in her bed, eyes tightly shut and her hands over her ears.

"Stopitstopitstopit!" she was saying.

On instinct, Greg flicked his wand at the two men.

"Expelliarmus!"

The wands flew out of their hands and they turned towards Greg, only just noticing his presence.

"That's enough! This hospital has recovering patients in. They don't need to hear you two bickering! Act your age!"

Fred looked daggers at Malfoy before apologising and sitting back down next to Hermione. Malfoy looked infuriated but reluctantly also said he was sorry before throwing himself into a chair in the corner of the room, and looked out the window.

"How are you feeling today, Miss Granger?" Greg resumed his doctoring.

"A little better, thanks." She nervously looked at the brooding men before turning back to Greg.

"Sleep well?"

"It was a little odd actually. I think I was having a nightmare or something of the like and then suddenly it just stopped. I can't remember a thing after that, I slept like a log!" she smiled and Greg could see why Fred cared so deeply for this young witch. She seemed to brighten a room with her very presence. Greg nodded, smiling too as he took his quill and parchment out and wrote some notes down. Draco inclined his head briefly in Hermione's direction and then looked down at his hand. He really must have a strong effect on the curse after all. He then caught Fred's eyes and glared mutinously at him before turning back to staring out of the window.

"And there's no need to ask how you're all coping with being cooped up with each other like this…" Greg raised his eyebrows at the young men, making them feel like children who had been caught stealing biscuits.

"I suggest you all go elsewhere for Miss Granger's healing process. Being in here irritating each other and having uncomfortable nights isn't going to help Miss Granger at all!"

"Yeh, he's right. Let's go back home to the Burrow, 'Mione." Fred smiled at her.

"Like hell am I spending any amount of time in that dilapidated house! There's more sellotape than wood and bricks!" Malfoy scoffed.

Fred rose out of his chair with a scowl before Hermione reached out to grab his hand, pulling him back onto the bed to sit next to her. She rubbed his hand soothingly.

"Where do you suggest, Draco?" Hermione questioned.

"My house of course! It's bigger and much better!"

"NO!" Hermione practically yelled. "Er…no…I don't think I'd like to go there…it would remind me of…no…but thank-you anyway…" she trailed off, feeling slightly sick. Malfoy Manor was the last place she wished to be.

Malfoy frowned slightly but remembered why she disliked his home so much.

"My home's much too small for us all…" Hermione sighed.

Fred's face lit up. "I think I have an idea! No one said we have to go to someone's home, we could stay anywhere! And I know just where you'd like to stay for a few months, 'Mione!"

"Where?" Hermione smiled up at the ginger she loved so much.

"We could go to Italy!" Fred exclaimed with a huge grin.

Hermione laughed and hugged him close to her. "Where would we stay though?"

Malfoy coughed importantly from his corner.

"Actually I have some relatives on my father's side who own a flat there, in Bologna."

"Bologna?" Hermione gasped with delight. "That's where Spaghetti Bolognese comes from isn't it?"

"Technically it should be called Spaghetti a la Bolognese, which means spaghetti done in the Bolognese style because the Bolognese came up with it. The meat sauce is actually called Ragu. But everyone incorrectly abbreviates and calls it Spaghetti Bolognese." Malfoy muttered.

Hermione looked at him and smiled genuinely. Malfoy looked taken aback at her kind smile. No one ever bothered to show him any affection, except his mother. And she'd gone. Even Gregory, who had been around since before Malfoy was born, disliked his master's son. Crabbe and Goyle had tagged along with him during Hogwarts, but he wouldn't call them affectionate friends. They had been more like bodyguards. But this Granger, despite the years of bullying he had put her through, was the first person in years to properly smile at him, to show kindness of any sort.

Malfoy's mouth twitched slightly at the corners forming a shy but small smile back. But as quickly as it had come, it disappeared. He took a deep breath and looked away.

"Bologna it is then!" he spoke into mid-air.

Tadaaa! Lol I went to a relative's flat in Bologna recently so I was inspired and thought it would be easier to describe somewhere I had actually been and knew a bit about rather than make something up! :D Hope you liked it! Look out for the next one! xxx